1. Field
Aspects of embodiments of the present invention relate to a rechargeable battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rechargeable battery can be repeatedly charged and discharged, unlike a primary battery. A low-capacity rechargeable battery is typically used for small portable electronic devices, such as a mobile phone, a notebook computer, and a camcorder, and a large-capacity rechargeable battery may be used as a power supply for driving a motor, such as for a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle.
An example of a rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly for performing charging and discharging operations, a case accommodating the electrode assembly, a cap plate coupled to an opening of the case, and a lead tab for electrically connecting the electrode assembly to an electrode terminal.
In the rechargeable battery, the lead tab may have a fuse formed between a part connected to the electrode assembly and a part connected to the electrode terminal. For example, the fuse may melt under a high-voltage condition, such as external short-circuiting, to thus interrupt current.
When the fuse operates, i.e. melts, in which some part is broken and the other part is connected, current may be concentrated at the connected part, and an arc may be increasingly generated at the broken part. Accordingly, the remains of the arc may reconnect the broken fuse.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.